“Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull’s campaign to hand corporations more power continued today with the announcement of new appointees to the Fair Work Commission (FWC).

Prime Minister Turnbull and Employment Minister Michaelia Cash have been stacking the FWC with three new Deputy Presidents, all of whom have histories working extensively for big corporations and not with or for workers.

Mr Turnbull and Ms Cash’s choices are Abbey Beaumont from Fortescue Metals, Amber Millhouse, who worked for Carlton and United Brewery (CUB) prior to the recent major dispute, and Ian Masson, who has held senior positions at oil and gas giants Exxon Mobile/Esso and Woodside Energy.

Big business in Australia has too much power and, today, the Turnbull Government has gifted it with even more dominance and influence over working people’s lives.

Working people’s voices must be represented in the FWC and Mr Turnbull and Ms Cash have again shown their allegiance is entirely to the business community.

The three appointees have also acted for companies who have engaged in wage underpayment, cancelled agreements, reduced working conditions, and undermined the conditions Australians have at work.

Today’s announcement by Prime Minister Turnbull and Minister Cash is further evidence that the game is rigged in favour of employers, and that workers need more power. We are going to change the rules for working people so that the pendulum swings back towards them.”

Worksite

Union Aid Abroad

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA is the overseas aid and development agency of the ACTU. Our work aims to build self-reliance through support to educational and training projects for workers and their organisations in the developing world.